He has a very abusive personality when he's working, but he can be charming when he wants to be. I wouldn't want to test your theory that he only has a temper when he's in the kitchen (I'm pretty sure he could go off anywhere).

Still, he has a very magnetic and forceful personality that I can't help but admire (he says what we're all thinking).

I think I gotta disagree with you cats12r. Anyone who lets those words roll off their tongue like a machine gun, definitely talks like that when the cameras turn off.

Not that I'm proud of it but I've got quite the potty mouth (so I've been told and I have to agree) and I've tried to stifle myself but it only lasts a few minutes before I'm tossing out the F you and F that, etc.

I've watched his Kitchen Nighmares on BBCA and have to say that although he's abusive in the verbal sense, he's got a wonderful heart and truly cares about the people he's helping. Anyone see the eppy with "Lenin"?? He was a chef that ended up in rehab--very touching show. Gordon also has to put in a pound for every swear word he uses. LOL..very funny. I think "Hells Kitchen" is a bad example of his work; I think that show can go way over the top and is nasty. BUT, his other stuff? Love.

Gordon doesn't always swear. This week on the British KN he worked an indian curry house and he barely swore. He certainly wasn't aggressive. In fact, he seemed to really like the chef and spent quite a lot of time laughing. (That's because the guy had an immaculate kitchen, I expect!). According to his wife, Tana, Gordon never swears at home. Gordon said the same thing - his wife would not stand for it in front of the kids!

I definitely get that he genuinely cares, particularly when dealing with those who are about to lose everything or who are stressed out. Three things he seems to hate are dishonesty, laziness and arrogance. Don't know if any of you saw the Secret Garden episode on YouTube but I have NEVER seen Gordon lose it like he did on that episode, not even when he was cursing about the dirt and putrid food at Purnima/Dillons...

Gordon doesn't always swear. This week on the British KN he worked an indian curry house and he barely swore. He certainly wasn't aggressive. In fact, he seemed to really like the chef and spent quite a lot of time laughing. (That's because the guy had an immaculate kitchen, I expect!). According to his wife, Tana, Gordon never swears at home. Gordon said the same thing - his wife would not stand for it in front of the kids!

I definitely get that he genuinely cares, particularly when dealing with those who are about to lose everything or who are stressed out. Three things he seems to hate are dishonesty, laziness and arrogance. Don't know if any of you saw the Secret Garden episode on YouTube but I have NEVER seen Gordon lose it like he did on that episode, not even when he was cursing about the dirt and putrid food at Purnima/Dillons...

I couldn't agree more. You see a totally different side to him when he's with his kids, as the clips on 'The f word' show. I've use a phrase about him for ages: 'He swears because he cares'. And he really, genuinely does, in my opinion. He wants to get the best out of people, for their own good. He's certainly someone I would like to have as a mentor!

I've watched his Kitchen Nighmares on BBCA and have to say that although he's abusive in the verbal sense, he's got a wonderful heart and truly cares about the people he's helping.

I think though that people often think it's not really abuse if the person loves you, or doesn't mean to hurt you or be cruel or whatever. And that's nonsense. Hell's Kitchen is very sad in a way because he's creating (some of) the same problems that upset him so much that he screams at them - by screaming insults and obscenities at them until they freak out. It's heartbreaking to see cooks who know what they're doing break down and question whether they have any skills or talent whatsoever because he spent three hours screaming at them for burning some meat which they wouldn't have burnt if he hadn't created this terrifying work environment. Clearly some of them are just being irresponsible pointless flakes, of course. Like, how does the entire men's team neglect to memorize the menu day after day even after seeing that he quizzes one of them on it EVERY TIME? That's stupidity and arrogance; but when they nearly have nervous breakdowns trying to memorize four items so they can start service, that's the intense stress he puts them under. It's all very well saying that he's preparing them for the pressures of a real kitchen, but that's supposed to be what cooking for a whole restaurant of people every night does. I've read interviews with Ramsay where it's clear that he doesn't want to scream and swear at people like that and that he doesn't realize he's doing it when it happens. I think that what is going on for him is that he's an intense workaholic, his whole life centers on his work, and when he gets triggered at work the stakes are so high for him that he just snaps. At least it's good for ratings....